There are a number of resources available to you including the Ventura County Fire Department, Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council, and Firewise USA. In an emergency, you should contact the Fire Department directly. Otherwise however, we at the Oak Park Fire Safe Council are glad to be your first point of contact to discuss these issues, provide guidance, and point you to the right resource where appropriate. You can reach us at info@opfsc.org

In an actual emergency, contact your fire department by dialing 911.

It is not just the homes that back up to open space that are in danger from wildfire. In the recent Woolsey Fire, a number of homes in the interior of communities were damaged or destroyed.The terms “wildfire” and “wildland fire” can be misleading when it comes to the chance that your home could be ignited by a fire that starts outside in brush, grass or woods.

With just the right conditions – a dry, hot, windy day (for instance Santa Ana winds) – and an ignition source – a spark from a vehicle, machinery, or a carelessly tossed cigarette – your home could be in fire’s path faster than you might imagine.

Cal Fire has used the best science available to develop Fire Severity Zones that indicate the degree of Fire Hazard in an area based upon fuel, slope and weather. All of Oak Park is in the Very High Fire Severity Zone, the highest designation.

Assuming you are adequately insured, most homeowner policies do typically cover property losses caused by brush, grass or forest fire. However, many policies do not cover home landscaping and plants that could be destroyed in a wildland fire. And no policy can replace personal items such as photographs, artwork and other memorabilia.

The Insurance Information Institute recommends an annual insurance check-up so that you understand what is and is not covered in your homeowner’s insurance policy. You can also create a home inventory to help get your insurance claim settled faster in the event of fire loss.

Typically, individual improvement efforts by homeowners are not reflected in discounts to their policy premiums. Most insurance rates are set using other factors, including community fire protection resources, such as the presence of fire hydrants. In addition, fire protection is only one small piece of the insurance policy, so discounts for fire protection would be fairly small if they were available.

In areas where wildfires have caused damage, you may find that your insurance company is conducting on-site inspections to recommend wildfire safety actions. Companies that incur large losses from wildfire may be less likely to continue to offer insurance in areas that they consider high-risk.

CLICK HERE for a list of insurers that are offering discounts for both community efforts such as Firewise, and individual efforts to improve the structure and defensible space around your home.

Most homes that burn during a wildfire are ignited by embers or firebrands landing on the roof, in gutters, on or under decks and porches, or in vents or other openings in the home. Other homes burn from small flames (surface fire) that can touch the house – such as dry grass that can allow a fire to run right up to the siding. In general, substantially clearing or trimming the area closest to the home (Immediate Zone), is most beneficial, along with some of the improvements to the home such as screening vents and clearing gutters of debris. See the Firewise section of this website for a more complete list. The Ventura County Fire Department website and the Firewise Communities Program are great places to start and find resources and action steps you can use around your home and out into the landscape.

A wildfire safety tips sheet is available on NFPA’s safety information page. You can also find additional information about how to create defensible space around your home on the Firewise website.

Protection starts with an assessment of your home and yard (defensible space). We recommend a free assessment from the Oak Park Fire Safe Council or one of our partners, which can be accessed on our HIZ Assessment page.

The Firewise USA® Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes to face the risk of wildfire. The program provides resources to help homeowners learn how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together to take action now to prevent losses. Initiated in 2002 with 12 pilot neighborhoods, the national Firewise USA® Recognition Program has grown to nearly 1,000 active member-communities in 40 states, as well as a participation retention rate of 80% over the past decade. The program, aimed at homeowners, provides specific criteria for communities regarding wildfire preparedness, and based on these criteria, offers national recognition for their work.

Firewise communities are those that have taken appropriate measures to become more resistant to wildfire structural damage. An online Firewise Toolkit, including a Firewise tips checklist for homeowners, is available on the Firewise website.

Firewise techniques include minimizing the risk of home ignition by carefully landscaping around residential structures such as thinning trees and brush and choosing fire-resistant plants, selecting ignition-resistant building materials and positioning structures away from slopes.

Communities that have earned the special distinction of being recognized under the Firewise USA™ Program have followed a systematic approach to organizing and implementing a Firewise mitigation plan in their neighborhood.

First, our assessor recommendations are only recommendations. Although we certainly hope you implement them, as of this date you can implement all, some or none of them. Firewise landscaping techniques can actually improve the aesthetic quality of your home by clearing out dry and dead vegetation, and allowing space between trees and plants. More information about landscaping can be found on the “Home and Landscape” page of the Firewise website.